Her inspiration for next autumn/winter came from objects of delight, such as Faberge eggs, Corommandel screens, the court costumes of the Qianlong Dynasty in ancient China, and Meissen porcelain.

What was so amazing about this collection was that the prints appeared not just on the graphic-shaped dresses and skirts we are familiar with. But that she had managed the incredible feat of working in knitwear, as well.

But Mary did not stop with knitwear. She took her collection to even greater heights by printing on silk chiffon, satin and velvet, creating easy blazer-jackets and trousers, bias-cut satin dresses and ballgowns, all so rich in exquisite motif it was literally a feast for the eyes.

Glittering crystals and jewels added to the banquet of multi-coloured, multi-patterned luxury.

As Mary said in her programme notes: "Print is pushed above and beyond where we have seen it go before, clashing and contrasting, across garments, overwhelming the viewer, but never the wearer."

Mary, a graduate of Central Saint Martins, who shows under the Topshop-sponsored NewGen banner, was born in Athens to a mother who is an interior designer and a father who trained as a textile designer - she must have been inspired from the cradle.